"Netanyahu, Please This Time"... Biden and Harris Emphasize Ceasefire in Gaza Strip

Israel and Hamas Clash Intensifies... Amid Negotiation Difficulties

Biden Calls Netanyahu During Vacation
White House Reports Harris Also Joined Call
Gaza Ceasefire Talks Impact Presidential Election

As ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas face difficulties, U.S. President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the urgency of a ceasefire to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 21st (local time).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the White House, during a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the same day, President Biden stressed the urgency of concluding ceasefire and hostage release negotiations to ease tensions in the Middle East, highlighting the importance of the upcoming Cairo talks. Although President Biden is currently on vacation at a farm in Santa Inez Valley, California, after attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on the night of the 19th, he urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to approach the ceasefire discussions with an open mind due to the urgency of the matter.

The White House also explained that Vice President Harris participated in this call. The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, now in its tenth month, is seen as a significant obstacle to the presidential bid.

During the call, a U.S. official indicated that President Biden is expected to request some concessions regarding Israel’s demand for control over the Philadelphi Corridor, a buffer zone on the Egypt-Gaza border, which has been identified as a sticking point in the negotiations. Earlier, Israeli local media reported that on the 19th, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and agreed on a phased ceasefire that would include the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi Corridor. However, Netanyahu immediately denied this in a statement. Since Hamas opposes the Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, Netanyahu’s decision is considered crucial. From the 17th to the 21st, Secretary Blinken also undertook a Middle East tour, meeting key figures from Israel, Egypt, Qatar, and other countries to secure a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

The question of a Gaza ceasefire could significantly impact the presidential election. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has blamed the Biden administration’s incompetence for Hamas’s invasion of Israel last October. Additionally, pro-Palestinian protests opposing U.S. military aid to Israel continue, potentially causing Democratic voter defections.

If tensions in the Middle East escalate, international oil prices could surge, directing criticism toward the current administration and potentially negatively affecting Vice President Harris’s bid for the White House. According to a Bloomberg survey in May, 3 out of 10 voters in seven battleground states consider oil prices an important economic factor in deciding their candidate.